Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay joins AKP, Erdogan says

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on October 7 that Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay was joining the ruling AKP.

“I welcome Izmir Mayor Cemil Tugay who is today joining the AKP family,” Erdogan told party members at a parliamentary group meeting in Ankara.

Izmir is Turkey’s third city and an opposition stronghold, making the mayor’s move a symbolic gain for Erdogan’s party.